Data usage warnings: completely contradicting actual reality

[puzzled71]

Hello,

this is the Nth time that I get double (!) SMS and email warnings (at ungodly hours, too) about my having used up 80% of my data allowance for this month.

As per all previous cases, too, this is NOT true (O2 account shows more than 50% remaining, as per previous such cases)  - last time when I managed to phone a customer support person they not only reconfirmed what I could see in my app under my account BUT also that they could not find any trace of the system ever having sent me messages about this. The latter is totally crazy, in addition to this repeating nonsense.

Currently, after a full day since the notifications, I still have more than 50% of my allowance - so I simply cannot see how this system is making any sense. 

First time I thought it misfired accidentally, but now I am truly annoyed - especially as it stresses me out then again I figure out via O2's own stats shown under my account that my data usage is completely different from what it claims. 

Is there something seriously wrong with this software? This is by now a pattern, not an accidental occurrence. 

[puzzled71]

Thank you, I shall - but this just masks the issue. The reason for this system thinking, contrary to its own actual figures, that I am at level X of data usage is a core issue. So as a software guy I find this intriguing, especially as it is consistent behaviour i.e. consistently different from actual reality.

[puzzled71]

Thank you, I shall have a look - I only see one overall allowance ever since I got transferred to O2 after the VM merger... so it could well be it is considering some old limit but this is not displayed anywhere.

The fact that customer service person last time said they don't even see messages having been issued really knocked me out (it is in my account as notifications, also SMS messages and emails were sent - clearly misfiring, too as there are always duplicates sent within few seconds).

So there is a heck of a software bug somewhere - not to mention it sends it in the middle of the night, so raises also timezone questions but this is a tiny matter compared to the fundamental issue.

[Enlli]

@puzzled71 I think you will find there are lots of 'glitches' within O2's systems. Many of them introduced when they moved to what they call thier 360 system.

Not much gets fixed

[pgn]

@puzzled71 - this is a feature common to all UK mobile data providers, stemming from an Ofcom directive:

The problem, in O2's case, seems to stem from how the alert treats (ignores!?) various multipliers for any customer's total data allowance, eg:

I had the following back in 2018:

10GB base allowance from my tariff;

20GB added as a reseller's data multiplier (3X Data!);

10GB added as I am entitled to Volt - so double base data allowanceas a customer of both VM and O2.

I got my one and only e-mail (and SMS as well) warning when I had reached 8GB (80% of 10GB) near the end of May 2018:

I doubt that this can be controlled, but it fails in O2's case in two important ways:

1. the alert fails to take account of additional data (possibly also including data bolt-ons) as shown by my case (10+20+10)GB above, and
2. the alert seems to come out as soon as your (base!) data 80% is breached (in my case one afternoon, but possibly in your case at an ungodly hour if your phone was doing updates overnight using mobile data).

I wonder if our Forum Manager @Dave-O2 (assuming Blue Monday Pizza and Chocolate issues are not swamping him!) can shed any light?  Seems his predecessor, Martin-O2, offered to investigate but failed to come back with anything concrete on that one...🤔

[**edited for typos and formatting only]

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

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@Enlli wrote:

@puzzled71 I think you will find there are lots of 'glitches' within O2's systems. Many of them introduced when they moved to what they call thier 360 system.

Not much gets fixed

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Very true, however, those of us that have been here a long time will know that this particular issue has been around forever.

[puzzled71]

... and today, again at insane hour at night, two SMS messages and two emails... about my having used up AL my alowance. I am exactly at 50% now... so indeed, it seems something is stuck with whatever they think my default allowance is... instead of the real one that shows one amount without any splits, extras, anything. 

Ah well... I'll put this to rest but as a SW guy this is really basic nonsense... and sounds like they haven't fixed it for years either. Yay. 

Thanks all. 

[pgn]

Yep. If Ofcom makes a rule, it rarely says how the mobile companies should implement it. And if there's three ways of doing it right, and one wrong, O2 invariably executes the wrong one first, @puzzled71. See if you can't get an 80% warning again before the month is out for the doubled amount remaining of your tariff 😂